Tokyo Cafes: iki Espresso

It’s the first sunny spring day in Tokyo, and iki espresso has opened its panel doors to let the fresh air in. It sits on a quiet street with little traffic and the covered veranda keeps the sun out of your eyes as it warms your lap.

They have recently planted themselves in Kiyosumi after operating for two years in Chigasaki, Chiba Prefecture. The most noticeable thing about this place is the relaxed and contented smiles that staff have. All of the staff have worked with the company for several years, and most of them have had a career switches from industries as eclectic as systems engineering to hair dressing.

The Harases opened this cafe after a long journey with coffee. Teru trained in New Zealand with the best coffee experts and returned to Japan to open a location for a New Zealand coffee company. Soon after, he and Kim opened up their own cafe to demonstrate their concept of a warm, professional coffee haven. They’ve collected a team of passionate people to build the iki community.

The cafe has a long row of tables that are good for individuals and groups. The seats near the entrance are bright and naturally lit, while the ones at the back around a corner offer a quieter alternative for someone wanting to focus. Throughout the day, mothers, professionals with laptops, office-workers and even elderly drop by.

The menu is in English and Japanese. In addition to their espresso drinks, they have pastries and Western meals. They use beans from Allpress, a roaster also in the Kiyosumi area. The temperature and texture of the milk for my cappuccino (450 JPY) was perfect.

For people looking to work, the staff are welcoming, and you can easily pass a few hours. There are two sockets near the entrance and at the back. On a sunny day, the tables outside are also great to work out of, and they will open the glass-door panels so the entire shop can get fresh air. There’s no Wi-Fi.

[…] Iki Espresso — my favourite cafe in Tokyo. They have great coffee, good food, and wonderful, genuinely friendly (not just polite) staff. The two owners live in the area and you see the husband (Japanese) at the shop often with his bike. They brought Allpress Coffee, the New Zealand roaster, to Japan and that’s close by too. […]